A3: SPL Library Checkouts

Introduction

The data for this assignment comes from the Seattle Public Library. I am using smaller data sets based on the initial 40 million entries to create a report about library circulation trends.

Summary Information

Write a summary paragraph of findings that includes the 5 values calculated from your summary information R script The checkout data from the Seattle Public Library provides information on the number of times items were checked out from the library’s collection, including books, DVDs, and other materials, from 2005 to 2023. This data can be used to identify trends in reading and media consumption over time, as well as to inform collection development and resource allocation decisions by the library. The data is publicly available on the library’s website and can be accessed and analyzed by researchers, journalists, and other interested parties.

These will likely be calculated using your DPLYR skills, answering questions such as:

What is the average number of checkouts for each item?

Average Checkouts for each Matieral in the Seattle Public Libray
Material Checked out	Average Checkouts
MIXED	440.40856
MAGAZINE	61.23701
ER	28.44944
AUDIOBOOK	25.25704
EBOOK	25.13426
VIDEODISC	24.43032
CR	23.73762
REGPRINT	23.19126
MUSIC	21.80855
BOOK	20.92514
SONG	20.28797
ER, SOUNDDISC	18.51351
MOVIE	18.28628
SOUNDDISC, VIDEODISC	16.93151
COMIC	15.77851
SOUNDDISC	15.73852
LARGEPRINT	15.65094
ER, VIDEODISC	15.32258
SOUNDREC	14.13866
VIDEOREC	13.87500
VISUAL	13.70833
TELEVISION	13.67265
VIDEOCASS	13.23529
UNSPECIFIED	12.89474
VIDEOCART	11.57143
ER, SOUNDDISC, SOUNDREC	11.00000
ATLAS	10.91667
ER, SOUNDREC	10.73913
GLOBE	10.00000
MAP	10.00000
SOUNDCASS	10.00000
VIDEOCASS, VIDEODISC	10.00000

What is the month or year with the most/least checkouts for a book that you’re interested in?
- The year for the most checkouts for the book The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series, Book 1 was 2021 with 490 checkouts that year.
What is the month or year with the most/least checkouts for ebooks?
- the full year for the least amount of ebook checkouts was 2017 with 440127 checkouts.
How has the number of print book checkouts changed over time?
- The number for book checkouts has fluctuated throughout the years, in 2017 total book checkouts were 1447823 and as of 2022 (last full year) books had 844552 checkouts.
How did the Pandemic affect the Seattle Public Library?
- During the Pandemic a lot of in person shopping/visitation was no longer a viable option, and this is reflected in the data. The amount of physical checkouts for the Seattle Public Library (SPL) in 2019 was 2301241 checkouts, in 2020 this number plummeted to 544671 total checkouts, and we see the number of digital checkouts increase from 1372026 in 2019 to 1816076 in 2020. We also see the checkouts for digital media begin to increase and checkouts for physical books around this time period, the checkouts for physical books in 2017 was 1447823 checkouts, while in 2022 (last full year) this figure fell to 844552 checkouts. On the other hand, checkouts for medias such as ebooks and audiobooks increased from 440127 checkouts and 209292 checkouts in 2017 to 1015359 checkouts and 946935 checkouts in 2022.

The Dataset

Who collected/published the data?
- The Seattle Public Library
What are the parameters of the data (dates, number of checkouts, kinds of books, etc.)?
- “UsageClass” “CheckoutType” “MaterialType” “CheckoutYear” “CheckoutMonth” “Checkouts” “Title”
  “ISBN” “Creator” “Subjects” “Publisher” “PublicationYear”
How was the data collected or generated?
- electronically through the library’s integrated library system
Why was the data collected?
- to help the library manage its collection, track usage, and make informed decisions about resource allocation and collection development.
What, if any, ethical questions do you need to consider when working with this data?
- Privacy of the users and data accuracy are some concerns
What are possible limitations or problems with this data? (at least 200 words)
- This data has a limited scope, it only includes records from the Seattle Public Library and it may not be an accurate reflection of checkout trends in the libraries of other areas. Missing or incomplete data is also an issue, these missing values could skew any projects or inferences to be made about this data. The COVID-19 pandemic pandemic likely had a significant impact on library usage and checkout trends and the data may not accurately reflect these changes or account for the potential disruptions to library services.

First Trends Over Time Chart

In this bar chart we can see the amount of physical checkouts made at the Seattle Public Library every year, spanning the years of 2017 to 2023. We can see the amount of physical checkouts gradually decreasing, but in 2020, physical checkouts took a sharp decline largely in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We see the amount of physical checkouts slightly pickup again in the years to come following the effects of the pandemic but they never truly recover their glory.

Second Trends Over Time Chart

In this line chart we can see the amount of digital checkouts made at the Seattle Public Library every year, spanning the years of 2017 to 2023. We can see the amount of digital checkouts increase at a decent rate, but in 2020 and the years to come, digital checkouts increased largely in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend is something I expect to continue on through the decade as we advance as a more technologically reliant society and books become obsolete.

Third Trends Over Time Chart

In the third and final chart we can see the distribution of checkouts made at the Seattle Public Library from 2017-2023. We can see the monopoly Books, Ebooks, Audiobooks and Videodiscs have over just about every other material type offered by the Seattle public library, these 5 virtually eclipse the rest. I expect this trend to hold for the most part, with the exception of seeing books phased out as we become a paperless society.